Police in Louisiana's capital city has arrested two teenagers for a mass shooting that left 12 injured at a nightclub in January. Nikeal Franklin and Jy Shaun Jackson, both 19, were arrested Friday, Feb. 10, the Baton Rouge Police Department said. Franklin was charged with 12 counts of attempted first-degree murder while Jackson was charged with 12 counts of principal to attempted first-degree murder. On Jan. 22, shots were fired around 1:30 a.m. in the Dior Bar & Lounge in Baton Rouge. A dozen people were injured. Three victims were initially listed in critical condition, but their conditions later improved. Police said they believe the shooting was not a random act of violence and that it was targeted.
Sgt. L Jean McKneely Jr., a police spokesman, told The Associated Press in the days following the shooting that investigators believed the shooting was targeted at one partygoer and that bystanders were hurt in the process. Before the shooting, the nightclub had advertised a Southern University and Louisiana State University-themed party as the two schools kicked off new semesters.
Spokespeople for both LSU and Southern University told The Advocate that the event at the club that evening in Baton Rouge was not affiliated with either school. In a social media post Friday, Feb. 10, police said the investigation was ongoing and did not release any details beyond an announcement of the arrests.